Among the stars
by Aurore-e
Summary: The ship was quickly gaining speed, moving away from the international station and he couldn’t help but wonder why he was here with his team.
1. Chapter 1

I woke up one day with a crazy idea (something rather usual for me!) and asked a friend of mine to write 10 sentences. The deal was that I had to write a story with them. The conditions were so special that it took me nearly three months to write the first part (rolls eyes and thanks Jimmy!).

I went completely nuts with this story so... enjoy while it last!

I don't own them, they just decided to use a part of my brain as their private playground.

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**Among the stars**

**Part I**

The black emptiness of the space enclosing them was making him dizzy. His stomach turned up into a knot as he felt the slight pull of the acceleration. The doctors from the agency had told him it would happen. He had just never expected it to be so strong, so real. Up until the moment they had boarded the specially built space craft, he had been unable to fully realize what was going on. And now more than ever, he was responsible of his team. Void… . It extended all around them over light years. The thought made his heart beat a little faster. If anything happened, they were alone, truly alone… His mind was racing, calculating probabilities, rehearsing every possible scenario like they had taught them during the training sessions. 'Just in case something happens'. Still it wasn't enough to calm him.

Looking back at the young adults he considered like his children, his mind did a small trip back in time. The probability to have a contact with another civilization had been so low, 1 to billions. He had never thought he would witness it. When the first echo appeared in October 2010 it became the best kept secret on earth. Another secret he would have rather ignored. But being one of the president councilor, he had been among the first to know. That was one year ago; only one year ago. Yet it seemed like yesterday. The expressions of his teammates were unreadable. As much as he hated to admit it, he didn't want to know what was going on inside their heads. It would be too much to handle.

His eyes went back to the small window on his right. The ship was quickly gaining speed, moving away from the international station and he couldn't help but wonder why he was here with his team. He snickered slightly as he recalled what the president has said. "People I can trust and who will be able to handle each and every situation." They had been trained for months to get ready for that mission. Memories of the last two months flashed through his mind. The training in the swimming pool to get used to work in low gravity environment, the exercises in case of fire in a closed space. It had taken their toll on them all, pushing them to their limits. The proximity, the isolation, the emotional strain had changed their perception of the others. Many times, he had pacified a conflict between Jesse and Brennan. Some budding relationships had been broken only to be replaced by others. Their life had changed drastically and he was not sure they were in the best mood to face that peculiar mission.

Jesse settled deeper in his seat before switching on the main engines. His hands were gripping at the controls and he had to remind himself not to be so nervous. He had done it at least hundreds of time in the simulator of the agency. Yet the slightest mistake would cost them their lives. A dreadful expectant sensation took hold of his soul; what if he made a mistake? The spatial station was quickly vanishing as he maneuvered the ship away smoothly, like they had taught him. The hull was no more than a little point lost in a black emptiness. It was their last hope to go back to earth safe. Not that he could not handle technical incidents, should they arise. But still, they were alone. The display on the computer holographic screen finally indicated that they were far enough from the space station to switch on the hyperdrive. One look at his right and he knew that Shal had already started with her part of the procedure. He smiled at her lightly to indicate that it was ok. The feral didn't smile back. She was too worried.

An unnatural sensation in the pit of her stomach replaced the hurt and anger she had felt the last few weeks. The feral had lost all her landmark since the third week of training. Everything had started smoothly. They had moved from Sanctuary to a military base in the middle of a desert with a new mission. Unlike any other mission Adam had given them the choice and they had all agreed to go, thrilled by the challenge it represented. All except for Emma. The psionic had tried to talk them out of the project as if she had known something was wrong. They should have listened to her. Maybe Brennan and she would still be together. She shook her head. It was not the time to think back about their mistakes. She had to focus on the mission.

Breath in, breath out… His heart was drumming at a maddening rhythm in his hears, controlled by his growing anguish. He couldn't help but think that he was the only real danger in that ship. Two weeks after they had left Sanctuary, things had started to change. He couldn't come close to a computer without having the machine crashing. At first it was only the computers he came close to. Then it had touched each and every computer in the base, including those from the planes. It had taken a week until they realized it was a new evolution of his power. The thought still frightened him. Being able to use EMP was not something trivial, especially when he couldn't perfectly control it. It had taken him nearly a month to be able to shield that part of his mutation. Without Emma, he wouldn't have made it. She had been the only one to understand his anguish and guilt. But above all, she had trusted him when the others didn't even come to see him when he was in isolation. She had been his solid ground when he couldn't even believe in his abilities. Through all their meditation sessions, their link had strengthened and amplified. The psychic bond had been enough in the start. But with time, it naturally extended until it became physical. Those changes were among his fondest memories; for once he was complete.

Thinking of Emma made him look back at her to see how she coped with their little trip. She had not wanted to come and he trusted her enough to know that there was a reason behind her doubts. The psionic was unnaturally pale. Her eyes were closed but he knew better than that. The slight twitch of her lips, the movements of her eyes beneath her eyelids were contradicting her peaceful appearance. Knowing that his fear would only worsen things, he tried to block out all negative emotions, focusing instead on pleasant memories of their last two days before their departure in that little bed and breakfast.

Probability calculation, fear, feeling of loss, focus, and bitter disappointment. The mix virtually occupied all her senses. She wanted to scream at them to stop the emotionalcarousel going in her mind, to leave her alone. She had closed her eyes a few minutes ago, hoping it would help her focus and block them. But the more she tried to isolate herself, the stronger the feelings engulfing her became. They wrapped around her mind, crushing it, tearing apart her sanity. The sensation soon became overwhelming, making her head spin madly. She could not separate her own feelings from those of her team-mates. It was unusual for her not to control her abilities.

In the back of her mind she knew that something was wrong. It had started when Adam had asked them to be part of the mission. When their leader had mentioned the apparition of the space ship close to Saturn, a part of her had wanted to get away as quickly as possible. It was an irrational fear, something further fuelled by the constant dangers they had to face on a daily basis. The feeling had been nagging at her mind, relentlessly since that moment. And now that they were getting closer, it was getting stronger. The next few days would be more than exhausting. They would have to spend a week there but with the strain it put on her mind, she doubted she could do it.

A warm calloused hand gripped hers, sending a peaceful and loving wave up her arm. The feeling grew until it engulfed her completely and partly blocked the anguish. The young woman didn't need to open her eyes to see who was holding her hand. Brennan must have felt or guessed what was going on inside her head. She squeezed his hand back, giving him the reassurance he needed.

**xXx**

A massive dark space ship silently went past Europa in a deafening silence. In the dim light of the distant sun, the hull shone, revealing strange writings for the first time in decades. Inside, the air had turned poisonous long ago, destroying the hydroponic cultures; the sterilized atmosphere had prevented the usual dust layering. Only the faint humming of the central computer could be heard in the deserted ship. The radar was still active and searching for any signs of life, cataloguing, storing the data. As soon as the Helix II went past Venus, the first signs of activity appeared, the strange ship started to come to life.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took me so long to write the next part. Hopefully it won't take so long for the next chapter. Thanks to all the people who left a review (inserts happy grin). Anyway, enough of that... Enjoy the story...

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**Among the stars**

**Part II**

The vital functions of the ship were slowly restored one after the other. Computers that had been asleep for decades woke, suddenly filling the aircraft with mechanical noises. Routines necessary to life in deep space switched on, readying the spaceship for the new visitors.

Soon lights flashed in the enclosed space, glowing, reflecting on the silvery surfaces. The warming rays propagated from the central area to the outer parts sheltering the storage rooms. The air-filtering system buzzed and started to clean the air, rejecting deadly components into the void. A clear haze surrounded the ship for a few minutes then disappeared mixing with star dust.

The protective hull covering the integrated greenhouse opened, letting the dull light coming from the sun go through the special glass and bath the dead forest. In the perfectly calculated procedure, there was one tiny insignificant glitch. The microwave generator supposed to clean the hydroponics cultures didn't start.

With a loud whoosh, the doors to the cultures opened letting air rush through the gigantic space detaching crispy leaves of all shapes, textures, and colors. Some fell on the ground, creating a vegetal carpet. Some instantly disintegrated, charging the air with a multi-colored dust. Others flew past the huge containers and the now dry pound in the direction of the central part of the ship. It took several minutes for the atmosphere to reach oxygen levels suitable for human life.

The artificial wind had left a desolated landscape in its wake. What used to be a luscious forest with exotic plants and trees form all planets was now a cemetery with ghostly naked shapes. Now devoid of all canopy, light finally reached the textured barks slowly warming tiny yellow irregular patches. The combined action of light and air seemed to awaken the substance for it started to expand and create filaments that soon recovered all the trees.

xXx

Jesse used the gravity field of Venus to propel them further and faster in the galaxy in the direction of Jupiter. Their speed increased the pull of gravity on their bodies, waking Emma from her dreamless slumber. She blinked a few times wondering how she could have fallen asleep in one of the simulators. It was only when she saw Jesse moving with difficulties that she realized this was not just another dream. She turned her head to see that Brennan had left her side and was now helping the molecular with the delicate procedure. All along the two men were talking animatedly about the next basketball season, arguing endlessly about the future champion.

Smiling at the slightly incongruous talk, she settled as comfortably as possible in her seat. She still had ten minutes before taking her shift with Shalimar. Despite the new reactors, they would have to wait a few more days before finding the source of the signal. And then they would have to improvise. The psionic couldn't help but think back of their time in Antarctic and their fight with the Protoconthe. Finding a way to stop that thing had nearly cost them their lives. The thought was enough to free the anguish she had locked back in the deepest recess of her mind. Waves of fear crept up her spine, licking the shore of her mind, spreading the seeds of panic. It took all her willpower to find her breath back and will down her fears.

Adam chose that moment to come back in the piloting area with a stack of papers. Without a word he sat beside her and gave the young woman four sheets of paper. She smiled briefly before taking them. Her eyes widened and an irrational fear took over her mind as she saw what was on it. She was used to the strange coding the first message used; but what was in front of her eyes was beyond anything she had ever seen. In between the numbers, strange rounded symbols were mixed at seemingly irregular intervals. Her eyes went over the four sheets quickly, evaluating the distance and shape of the symbols. There was something in the symbols. She started over with the first sheet thinking that her mind was playing tricks on her; but she was not mistaken, the symbols held a pattern just like in her dreams.

"So, what do you think?"

The psionic took a deep breath and looked up at him. Every little detail in his demeanor told her that he knew about her nightmares and the connection to the mission. Any other time, it would have hurt her to think that the man supposed to take care of her was not acknowledging her problems. She didn't care anymore. The young woman had come to a decision during those last few months. No matter what happened, it was her last mission.

"More cryptic messages. We don't even understand the second part of the initial message. I guess what is out there has detectors. It reacts to our presence and sent us an expanded message. It doesn't reassure me."

Her supposition only confirmed his initial theory. His eyes traveled from her hands holding the papers to her face, hoping to find traces of her usual smile. But, as soon as his eyes met her focused one, he was reminded of the distance she had put between them since the beginning of the mission. She quickly focused back on the symbols and he knew that she was keeping something for herself.

"Emma? Is something wrong with the other part of the message?"

She handed him the papers back and unfastened her seat belt. Her two first steps were hesitant in the low gravity environment. Shalimar had already taken Jesse's seat and was waiting for Emma to replace Brennan.

"No, Adam. Nothing is wrong."

They both knew that it was a lie, that her lack of trust would cause trouble one day or another.

xXx

_The doors opened with a muffled sound and she eerily stepped in what appeared to be a medical unit. Light coming from the hall flooded the room; but her shadow was missing, like she was transparent. Emma dismissed the thought with a low chuckle. The door closed, isolating her and for the first time she took in the sight of the giant planet they were orbiting around. Orange light came from a huge bay, giving a breath-taking sight on Jupiter ever-moving sky. _

_Her eyes went quickly over the defect-less walls to settle on the middle of the room. Several low metallic cabinets were surrounding a medical bed. The place was so calm, she wanted to lie down and sleep for a few hours. However, she could not. She was on a mission to find something but the memory was distant. _

_Suddenly the doors behind her opened and she felt people rushing past her, through her as if she was only a ghost. The experience was strange and frightening. A sensation that could have fuelled her insecurities if only the people in the room were not so familiar. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw that it was her teammates carrying someone. The body on the table was so familiar she was afraid to look at it, afraid it was the one person she could not loose. It took her what seemed to be an eternity to find the courage to look at the man lying there. Her shout resonated in the room but she was the only one able to hear it. She wanted to run and help him but she couldn't. Her feet were rooted to the ground. Minutes seemed to fly past her but her friends were moving in slow motion. Hours could have passed. It was only when Adam shook his head and dropped the medical instruments he was holding that she knew. _

_He was dead._

Emma bolted upright on her bunk, tears staining her cheeks. It had just been another dream; more intense than others. She rubbed her forehead and whipped a few drops of sweat off her skin. They were getting closer to the signal and her nightmares had been getting worse. She sighed and looked through the tiny window. Two days had elapsed since they had first received the extended message. Now she could see Jupiter and its golden swirling clouds. _'Just like in your dream'_. She had always thought that the sight would calm her. But it only made her feel even more distressed. _'A dream! This has to be a dream!'_ Her feet touched the cold metallic ground, sending a shiver up her body masking the slight tingle of her com-ring. Images from her dream kept flashing before her eyes. The simple thought that it might become true made her sick and she had to run to the adjoining bathroom.

Minutes later, Brennan found her leaning on the sink, pale as a ghost, and with tears staining her cheeks. Their eyes met in the mirror and he knew that she was hiding something. The elemental came to her side and wrapped her in his arms, momentarily forgetting why he was here in the first place. The psionic clung to him with all her strength, her head resting in a place where she could hear his steady heartbeat.

"What is going on, Emma?"

He could have used their connection to figure what was wrong. But it would feel like a violation of her mind and he respected her too much for that.

"Nightmares. And they're getting stronger."

Her voice broke as she pronounced the last words making him tighten his embrace. There was more to her nightmare he could feel it radiating from her. He brushed her hair in a soothing gesture hoping he could calm her sobs. Only one thing could cause such a reaction.

"Who died in your dream?"

His heart nearly stopped when she looked up at him with teary eyes. Her lips moved but no sounds came out confirming his worst fear. She had seen him die. Had it been anyone else's dream, he would have dismissed it with a laugh. But it was Emma; and she had seldom been wrong. Fright crept over his soul though he wanted to deny it, to push the thought away. He smiled at her sadly before wiping the tears with his thumbs. There were days when he wanted to ask Adam to find a cure, to give her a normal life and spare her the maelstrom she was going through every day. But he couldn't. It was part of her; her mutation had changed her and made her become that amazing woman. So he did the only thing that could take her mind of the dream. He kissed her senseless, his lips and tongue exploring as if it were their first kiss. When they finally parted he rested his forehead against hers.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, Emma. I promise I'll be extra-careful."

The young woman smiled at him knowing that he would do his best to keep his promise. She kissed him softly one last time.

"Why did you come here?"

"We have reached the source of the signal. It is a starship and we are going to have to get in. The others need us."


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry guys it took me forever to update. Anyway, here is part 3. And don't forget to leave a little word, it always makes my day (and makes me write a little faster)...

Enjoy...

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**Part III**

The silence in the Helix was overloaded, full of expectations. None of them had expected to find such a huge metallic thing orbiting around Jupiter. Their first hypothesis had involved a small satellite like the ones the NASA had launched decades ago when they were searching for extraterrestrial life. Their discovery would change everything.

Jesse was the first to overcome his daze. He maneuvered the small aircraft delicately so that it was close to one of the hatches. When they were close enough, he stabilized the plane, aligning it with the other ship. Automatically, he switched on several routine recorders; but he had little hopes to find anything else than the signal that they had already registered. The molecular took a good look at what had leaded them in space. And not for the first time, he wondered how astronomers could have missed it.

The ship was big enough to shelter a whole city. It was triangular shaped with a strange glass dome in its middle. All along the dome there was a kind of glass tube that probably allowed inhabitants to observe the stars around while going through the ship. The metallic hull was intact and shone brightly, its rugged texture reflecting light in different directions. Along the hull there were small channels that throbbed like blood vessels and were converging toward one side of the ship. Light traveled quickly through the paths and its speed had increased the moment they had gotten closer.

Mentally, he started counting the pulses. Twenty pulsations; thirty; it remembered him of strange fluorescent jellyfishes. Forty, sixty in less than a minute. Their speed was still increasing until he could not differentiate the pulses anymore. His eyes followed the light, mesmerized by the strange ballet. It was converging to the hatch they were close to, pooling there, on the door filling it with a yellow glow. Before he could say a word, the light faded leaving an empty black space. Startled Jesse turned to Brennan to ask him if he had seen the same thing. The expression on his friend's face was enough to confirm his worst fears. What he had seen was not a hallucination. His mind worked at light speed as he switched all the sensory probes and computers to record what was going on. Brennan worked frantically beside him getting all the weapons ready, just in case.

Probably feeling her boyfriend's surprise, Emma had come to stand behind his chair and was now peering at the black cavern that had opened in the side of the ship. It appeared like the mouth of a gigantic mythic creature; a mouth that could easily swallow them. The sight only reinforced her uneasy sensation. She couldn't help but remember her nightmares. Soon what had only been a displeasing sensation became a furious roaring storm of fear shouting at her that it was still time to take over their minds and run away. Yet she repressed the fear and took her seat close to Brennan.

Shal and Adam took their seats seconds later and the whole team got ready in silence, sending pre-recorded messages in different languages. The Helix moved closer to the hatch with lights directed toward it. Nothing could be seen inside. Coming back to his senses, Brennan touched his tactile screen to switch the infra-red detectors on. But the screen didn't react; and when it finally did, it showed an error message telling him that he had momentarily no access because an administrator was using it.

"Jesse, are you the one accessing our main computer?"

A frown tugged at Jesse brow. The procedures were all automated and he had given Brennan an administrator password. Something was wrong; the readings of the main computer were illegible. He tried to log on the computer but he was too slow. The writing on the screen switched back to English, displaying indications of movement. One of the engines fired a small gas pulse, changing the position of the plane. They felt delicate movements and saw the cavern getting closer and closer. They were too surprised to even say a word. The molecular tried to override the procedure but it was useless. The computer refused his password or any other orders. He watched helplessly the computer display as the Helix went through the standard procedures for landing. The moment they felt the plane touching the ground, the door materialised behind them and light came on, revealing a gigantic metallic cave, much like the one in sanctuary.

Seconds later, an automated procedure started, checking oxygen levels. Green lights appeared everywhere signalling them that the ship was clean and they could go outside without suits. No one said a word as Adam started to sample the air around the Helix to check for any signs of toxin.

All along the landing procedure, Emma had not moved from her seat. The psionic was too dazed to even blink. Her eyes were unfocused as if she could see things that were not there for the others. This time it was not one of her nightmares. She was wide awake. Her grip tightened on the arm of her seat. The ship they were in was not a figment of her imagination. The monster had swallowed them and they had not been able to fight back. With that realization came also the dreaded certitude that they would never come back to earth.

xXx

Adam did a thorough check of the different air samples. The last thing they needed would be to get a strange disease. While he was checking for any viruses or pathogen agents, the four team-mates started getting ready. Jesse quickly uploaded the scans of the ship he had done earlier. He mentally made landmarks where he could find high level of electrical activities. The computers should be there and he wanted to ensure the team would be able to open the door and leave when they wanted to. Emma was paralysed, caught in her own fears. Maybe if she willed the thing away, their surrounding would fade away and they would be back in Sanctuary, in a place that was safe. But as hard as she tried it was still there. A part of her knew that she had to move and help the others; yet her instincts were telling her, again, to leave. It was only when Brennan bent down to kiss her lightly that she was able to tear her eyes away form metallic walls. It took her several more minutes to finally move and get ready.

xXx

After nearly two long hours of analysis, Adam declared it was safe to get out of the Helix 2. The five friends parted to explore the alien spaceship. Brennan went toward the front while Jesse went to the sublevels where the computers where probably located. Emma and Adam had gone in search of the living quarters and medical units.

Shalimar had gladly taken the central part. She could feel something in the dome, something strong and nearly hypnotic that called on her deepest instincts. But so far, she had found nothing except a few panels that could be attached to the wrists. They looked suspiciously like computers and she had put them in her backpack hoping Jesse could find a way to make them work. If they were control panels, they would give them access to the whole ship.

Another door opened before her, and the feral walked in a glass-shielded corridor that extended along the ship for at least 250 meters and circled the central dome. On the ground a strange multicoloured dust crisped under her feet. She bent down and scooped some fragments. Her nose wrinkled a little taking in the scent. Their smell was strong, familiar, and reassuring to the feral. They reminded her of a forest with different varieties of trees. Before she had the time to consider the incongruity of this discovery, she caught a blue-green wave coursing on the windows. The leaves fell on the ground, completely forgotten, as the feral got closer to the glass. Her hand reached out and her fingertips brushed against it. The glass felt smooth and warm, almost flexible. Out of the corner of her eye she saw meandering blue light coming closer to her fingers. It had barely reached her that a strong electric wave swept through her body, making her retreat her hand quickly. She chided herself for being so confident. They were not in a familiar environment. She should have expected this.

She was ready to resume her search when she took in the scene of the moving cloud cover of Jupiter. Intricate golden and white lines mixed with brownish flecks. They spiralled endlessly, pooling in a bright white zone. She had never imagined that clouds could have those earthy colours and still look so much like an earth cyclone. The proportion of the storm was breath taking. The Jupiter sky was the only thing she could see. Everything around her seemed strange and yet so utterly familiar.

"Shal, did you find something?"

She sighed as she heard Adam's voice over her com-link. He always had the worst timing. After days she was finally able to feel safe and relaxed and he had to disturb her.

"Yep, but I still need to explore the central part. We still meet with the others in the hangar in two hours?"

"No. We'll meet at the front of the ship in half an hour. Brennan found something too and I want to see it as quickly as possible."

The feral quickly cut the communication and went to the first door she could find. Like all the other times, the door opened automatically. For the second time in less than ten minutes, the smell of a forest assaulted her senses. The scent of wood, leaves, and soil was intoxicating and she had to close her eyes. The sight that greeted her when she finally opened her eyes made her gasp in surprise. A huge dome, probably the same material as the windows in the hall, protected a gigantic forest. Trees nearly reached the dome and extended their leaves up to the stars. The diversity of shape and colours mesmerized her. Bright green of triangular leaves contrasted against velvety ochre, deep blue-greens and nearly purple oval-shaped foliage. Strange looking white flowers where hanging from all the tree trunks like orchids. The texture of the petals was feathery and seemed to move despite the lack of breeze. On the ground, patches of bright red flowers with white stamens contrasted with the near black grass.

As the young woman stepped in the greenhouse, light intensified making the glass above her head appear white. The colours of the different plants were even more intense than before and she couldn't repress the happy sigh. If all alien forests were like that one, she was willing to go to the other end of the galaxy. Carefully she got closer to one of the trees. The "orchid-like" flower seemed to hum, to call out to her. Remembering her experience with the window in the hall she barely brushed her fingertips against the feathery petals. They were silky, cold and when she retreated her fingers, the followed the heat of her hand. The young woman repeated her action a few times, entranced by the movement of the flower. Every time, she felt something microscopic clinging to her skin, entering her bloodstream and it left her slightly heady as if she had had too much wine. Adam had to call her three times to finally get her attention. The feral left the place disappointed. But she knew that she would be back. She did not remark the faint glow on her fingers or how it entered her skin.

xXx

When the door closed behind her, the dome turned transparent again letting the stars light the forest. Every single leave, every tree trunk, and flower had a strange golden glow that seem to vibrate with renewed strength. The white flowers suddenly released thousand of fuzzy little balls that settled on every available space, creating more strange looking flowers.

xXx

Jesse walked through the room quickly, hoping to find a way toward the sublevels. The readings he had gotten from the Helix computers indicated that there was a room under the one he was in but there seem to be no access at all. He had inspected every defect in the metal, every panel. But the moment the door had closed behind him, it was as if the room had sealed itself. There was only one thing left to do. The molecular went to the middle of the room and stepped in an oval ring. Without thinking, he took a deep breath reading himself for the impact of his fall through the ground. But before his powers were able to work, he felt the ground lowering itself and descending through what appeared to be a plastic pipe. As soon as it touched the ground of the other room, the barrier surrounding him vanished.

All around him cables were spread, connected with one another creating an intricate net, covering every wall. They converged toward multicolored spheres and pulsed just like what he had seen outside the ship. Suddenly it all made sense. The light was information and the spheres were like processors. Biocomputers. It had more storage capacity and adapted more quickly. That also meant that repairing whatever was wrong would take forever. The young man sighed and took in his surrounding.

What had appeared like a huge room on the plan was barely a hall. The computers must have filled the available space. From experience, the molecular knew that there must be a kind of central unit; the only thing he had to do was following the cables. Without realizing how long it took him, the molecular went through intricate halls, gradually loosing his way. But there was no sign of a central unit anywhere. It was only when he reached a huge room filled with opened pods that his mind processed how far he had gone. The sight made him wince. Wherever he went, even in alien civilizations, there were pods. It didn't reassure him about the people who had built the place or their motives. But right now, he had other things to think of; and the first one was to find a way out of here before the others got too worried.

TBC


End file.
